Wagon-bed.



PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904- H N- LA Y WAGON BED.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1904.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WAGON-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,722, dated October 18, 1904. Application filed May 18, 1904. Serial No, 208,500. (No model.) v

. citizen of the United States, residing at Champaign, Champaign county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for conveniently and economically unloading grain and the like from farm-wagons into cribs, granaries, and elevators, and has particular reference to an improved wagon-bed.

The method now in use for quickly unloading shelled corn, ear-corn, and smaller grains from Wagons into granaries, cribs, elevators, &c., consists inhoisting or elevating devices which elevate the front end of a wagon and its load, thereby dumping thelatter through the rear end after the gate has been removed into a conveyer which carries the grain into the top of the storage-chamber. Such hoisting apparatus are comparatively expensive, require considerable space, and cannot, therefore, be operated in limited areas 'betweenbuildings, and their operation is dangerous because of the liability of a team attached to a wagon that is being hoisted becoming'frightened and causing serious accidents and damages to the equipment.

In view of the foregoing the object of my invention is to make possible the unloading from wagon to conveyor without disturbing the normal position of the former and with-- out the use of expensive hoisting machinery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Wagon-bed itself capable of dumping a load into a'conveyer placed at one side of the vehicle, and a still further object is to provide'a bed which may be adjusted to assume the form of'a hopper bottom as well as an ordinary level bottom.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, and particulary pointed out in the claims, and will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica tion, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon withremoved, together with a wagon-bed therefor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the wagon shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the wagon-bed sectionsinclined or arranged to form a hopper bottom. Fig.4: is a similar view with one end of the wagon'broken away, showing the appearance of the bed-sections when raised to the level of bed-frame as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

vIn the drawings, lrepresents arectangular frame of timbers consisting of side rails 2 and 2' and end rails 2", Whose ends are joined together in any suitable manner. This frame rests upon the bolsters 3 3 of the runninggear of an ordinary wagon, suchas, shown. Top cross-bars L 4 and bottom cross-bars 5 5, spanning the upper and under sides ofthe frame 1, support end sections 7 v7 of the bottom or bed 6. The side section 7" is supported on the side rail 2" and cross-bar 8 secured at its ends to bottom cross-bars 5 5. The sections 7 7 are hinged at 9 9 tothe top crossbars 4 4L, and the side section 7 is hinged at 9 to the side rail 2 of the frame. Any suitable hinges or pivotal connections may be provided. The cross-bars 5, 5, and 8 support the bottom, comprising sections 7, 7 and 7, loosely when arranged in hopper form, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and-3. As shown in Fig. 8, the bottom section'7 has the form of one side of a frustum and overlies the sections 7 away to provide supporting edges running substantially parallel to the inclined sides of the section 7", as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, when said sections-are arranged to form a hopper. When the adjacent ends of sections 7 7' are lowered onto supports 5 5', a side opening 10 and a bottom opening 10 are provided. The width of the side opening is limited by vertical side pieces 11 11 to the width of the opening 10 between the adjacent lower ends of sections 7 7.- Said side pieces 11 11 are secured to the sections 7 7 respectively, and move with them against the inner sides of rail 2.

On the top surfaces of the rails 2 2 are two pairs of straps or beam-eyes 12, through Said beams 13 support the bottom sections 7, 7, and 7 after same have been raised to assume the level position shown in Figs. 1 and 4:.

14:, Fig. 1, indicates dotted lines representing a eonveyer in position to receive a load of grain or the like from the opening 10 10. This conveyer forms no part of this invention and is the subject of a separate application of even date herewith.

15 is the lower portion of one of the sides of an ordinary wagon-box, and 16 16 reprcsent similar portions of the end-gates.

The frame 1 is of the same length and width as the same dimensions of a wagon-box or may be made slightly smaller to permit the sides and end-gates of an ordinary wagon-box to slip over the frame 1. However, these details do not form a part of my invention and may be arranged in any approved manner.

When the bottom sections are raised to a level and supported by cross-bars 4: 4 and beams 13 13, as illustrated in Fig. 4:, the bottom opening 10' may be closed by means of a loose board or other convenient device. While in Fig. 1 the section of bottom 7 is shown as lying entirely on top of the adjacent edges of sections 7 7, it is obvious that the overlapping inclined edges may be made to interfit so that the top surface of the bottom when made level will present a substantially continuous and smooth surface, this being merely a matter of a simple mechanical detail.

For ordinary purposes, such as farm-wagons are used for during the greater portion of the year, it is desirable to have a level wagon-bottom, and my invention provides such a bottom and at the same time one which may be converted almost instantaneously into a hopper bottom discharging at one side of the vehicle for use during the grain-shipping seasons by simply removing the beams 13 and permitting the inner ends of sections 7, 7, and 7 to drop down on the supports 5 and 5. Another very important advantage gained by arranging the lower ends of the bottom-sections below the frame, and thereby providing side opening 10, is that when grain, such as earcorn, happens to congest at the openings 10 and 10 the flow can very easily be started from the side of the wagon by poking the mass exposed through opening 10,which could not otherwise be reached except from underneath the wagon, and not even then if the conveyer happened to lie close to the bottom of the wagon.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with the sides and ends of a wagon box or body, of a hoppered bottom therefor, said bottom forming a separate structure normally free of the sides of said box.

2. The combination, with the sides and ends of a wagon-box, of a bottom having an opening therein and sloping toward said opening, said bottom forming a separate part of the wagon-box body, or interchangeable with an ordinary wagon-bottom.

3. In a wagon-box bed, a frame, a plurality of bottom-sections pivoted in said frame, and means whereby said sections may be arranged either as a substan tially level bottom or a hopper bottom.

l. In a wagon-bed, the combination with a frame removably supporting the sides and ends of a wagon-box, of a bottom sloping to a level below and to one side of said frame said bottom having an opening in its lowest portion and in one side of said bed.

5. In a wagon-bed, the combination with a frame for supporting the sides and ends of a wagon-box, of a bottom consisting of a plurality of sections, spaced apart below said frame whereby is provided a vertical and horizontal opening below said frame.

6. In a wagon-bed the combination with a frame adapted to support the sides and ends of a wagon-box, of a bottom consisting of a plurality of sections pivoted to said frame, said bottom having an opening therein, means for supporting said sections substantially level with said frame, and means for tilting all said sections toward said opening.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NICHOLAS H. LARRY.

\Vitnesses:

Enw. R. BARRETT, J. W. BEOKSTROM. 

